This application is based on and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-351439 filed on Nov. 17, 2000.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shaping device for shaping a conductor material into a U-shape by bending the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Various conductors have been used in various electric devices, and some conductors are shaped into a U-shape due to, for example, a limited installation space and/or other reasons. The conductors shaped into the U-shape will be hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cU-shaped conductorsxe2x80x9d. Such a U-shaped conductor is produced, for example, by bending a linear conductor material.
FIG. 4 depicts a structure of a previously proposed shaping device for producing the U-shaped conductor. As shown in FIG. 4, the previously proposed shaping device includes a conductor material holding portion 100, a core metal 110 and a shaping portion 120. A linear conductor material 200 held by the conductor material holding portion 100 is shaped into the U-shape along the fixed core metal 110 using the shaping portion 120. Then, the U-shaped conductor material is cut and is removed, so that the U-shaped conductor is produced.
In the above shaping device, a shaping element of the shaping portion 120 has a circumferential recess at its vertical center. The circumferential recess has a contour that corresponds to a cross-sectional shape of the conductor material 200. Upper and lower ridges of the shaping element located at upper and lower sides of the circumferential recess constitute upper and lower guides 122, 124 for restraining deformation of the conductor material 200 toward the upper and lower sides, respectively. Because of the guide 122, the shaping element cannot be moved downwardly right after shaping the conductor material 200 into the U-shape. Thus, an unshaped portion of the conductor material 200 cannot be fed forward since a path of the conductor material 200 is obstructed by the shaping element located in the path. Because of this reason, the shaping element needs to be returned to its initial position, and then the unshaped portion of the conductor material 200 is fed forward. This disadvantageously increases the time required for the conductor material 200 to be removed after the conductor material 200 is shaped into the U-shape.
The present invention addresses the above disadvantage. Thus, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a device and method for shaping a conductor material into a U-shape in a manner that allows reduction of time required for the conductor material to be removed after the conductor material is shaped into the U-shape.
To achieve the objective of the invention, there is provided a shaping device for shaping a conductor material into a U-shape, the shaping device includes a holding portion for holding the conductor material, a feeding portion for feeding the conductor material, a core metal portion forming a die that defines a shape and size of the conductor material when the conductor material is shaped into the U-shape, and a shaping portion for shaping the conductor material into the U-shape along the core metal portion. The core metal portion includes a core metal and a first guide portion. The core metal forms the die. The first guide portion restrains movement of the conductor material in a first direction when the conductor material is shaped into the U-shape. The shaping portion includes a shaping element and a second guide portion. The shaping element shapes the conductor material into the U-shape by urging the conductor material along at least a portion of the core metal. The second guide portion restrains movement of the conductor material in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction when the conductor material is shaped into the U-shape.
There is also provided a method for shaping a conductor material into a U-shape. The method includes steps of: positioning a core metal of a core metal portion to a predetermined operating position, and securing the conductor material fed to a predetermined position with use of a holding portion; shaping the conductor material into the U-shape by moving a shaping element of a shaping portion along a predetermined planar path such that the shaping element urges the conductor material along at least a portion of the core metal; moving the shaping element away from the conductor material in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane in which the planar path of the shaping element is located, and returning the core metal to its initial position; and cutting and removing the conductor material that is shaped into the U-shape.